Chamber Music San Francisco will present a concert by pianist Jon Nakamatsu on Sunday, May 17, at 7 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. at McAllister (in the Veterans Building), San Francisco.

One of the most sought-after pianists of his generation, Nakamatsu is a frequent concerto soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and solo recitalist throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Highlights of his current season include return engagements with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Annapolis, Bozeman and Greenwich symphony orchestras, Lexington and Reno philharmonics and Santa Fe Pro Musica, as well as performances with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and the orchestras of Cape Cod, Fremont, La Crosse, Lincoln and Norwalk.

He reunites with his colleagues of the Berlin Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet for performances in Berlin and Detroit, and is presented in recital from coast to coast.

With his duo-recital partner, clarinetist Jon Manasse, Nakamatsu performs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and in New York City, Boston, Des Moines and Saratoga.

Initially brought to global attention in June 1997 by being named gold medalist of the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Nakamatsu subsequently appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the Boston Pops at Tanglewood, as well as with many other orchestras.

Abroad, he has been heard as soloist with Italy’s Orchestra del Maggio Musicale
Fiorentino, Berlin’s Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional de Santo Domingo and Japan’s Tokyo and Hiroshima Symphony Orchestras.

In 2005, he toured Spain as soloist with the San Jose Youth Symphony, followed by a 2007 tour with the Peninsula Youth Symphony that included performances in Budapest and Prague.

Nakamatsu’s extensive recital tours throughout the U.S. and Europe have featured performances in New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Miami, Houston, San Francisco, Paris, London and Milan. He has collaborated with various chamber ensembles and made three U.S. tours as the guest soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet.

His festival appearances include Tanglewood, the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival with Christopher Seaman and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Nakamatsu records exclusively for harmonia mundi usa, which has released six CDs, including an orchestral album containing performances of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, with Christopher Seaman and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as albums devoted to the music of Brahms, Chopin, Foss, Liszt and Wölfl.

His most recent release is his second orchestral album with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue, conducted by Jeff Tyzik. Soon to be released is his first CD with Manasse, a recording of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas.

Nakamatsu and Manasse serve as artistic directors of the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, an appointment announced during summer 2006.

Nakamatsu’s May 17 concert will feature works by Clementi, Schumann, Beethoven, Tveknavorian and Liszt.

Tickets are $44, $40, $37 and $27. To order, call (415) 759-1756 or visit www.chambermusicsf.org/tickets.html. Visit Nakmatsu’s website at www.jonnakamatsu.com.